


The Boy With The Cat

by shipsandglitter



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Kippen Siblings, M/M, Mutual Pining, Platonic tarty has several rights, TJ is a gay rebel but also kind of a mess, i just love cats okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 08:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19826338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipsandglitter/pseuds/shipsandglitter
Summary: “This is gonna get me in trouble, you know? Not that it’s ever stopped me before, I guess. Do you want salmon or chicken flavoured food today?”He glanced over at her, a fond smile on his lips as he entered the kitchen. Chérie meowed again, excited now that they were approaching the cans of food, and TJ gave her head a small pat. “Salmon it is, then!”He heard a snort from the table then, and turned around to give his sister a withering look.“Problem?”Amber raised her arms in surrender. “No. I just didn’t think I’d witness you lose your mind so soon. It’s fascinating, actually.“~In which TJ adopts a cat, brings her to school and somehow manages to score a date with a cute boy because of it.





	The Boy With The Cat

**Author's Note:**

> No one asked for this but I needed to feed my headcanon that TJ is a cat person so here it is!!
> 
> Also features TJ and Marty being bros(tm)

TJ wasn’t exactly sure how it had happened. 

All he knew was that one night while sitting alone on a park bench with his head buried in his hands, an affectionate cat had somehow managed to sneak up without him noticing. 

Midnight escapades like this one had become relatively common since his dad lost his job, with tensions in their household running high ever since. He felt it seep through the cracks of his bedroom door at night when his parents would argue out in the living room, he felt it when he arrived home from school to find Amber arguing with their parents, he even felt it at school sometimes as he watched Amber try to keep her eyes open after a late night shift.

He couldn’t let any of this show at home. His parents had enough to worry about after all, and he didn’t want to bring anyone down with his worries. 

This was time to be alone, accompanied by nothing but the soft sounds of chirping crickets, gusting wind and the occasional passerby. Sometimes, when he was lucky, the grey clouds above his head would drift apart and pale moonlight would illuminate the park he sat at. 

TJ still had his face buried in his hands, with silent tears rolling down his cheeks. At first it had felt somewhat pathetic sitting at a park alone and crying his eyes out, but he had long gotten over that feeling. Now, he had just accepted it was one of the only places he could really let his emotions show.

That’s when he felt it - a sudden weight on his right shoulder, and what felt like fur tickling his neck. He jolted slightly, adrenaline surging through him as he lifted his head from his hands and looked over at his shoulder.

TJ let out a breath. It was a cat - beautiful, admittedly - with piercing green eyes, black fur and distinct patches of white. 

“God, you could’ve given me _some_ warning,” he murmured, hints of amusement shining through. He took a moment to rub harshly at his face with the sleeve of his sweater.

Then, out of nowhere, the cat began to _purr_ , the sounds resembling a soft (furry) engine of some kind coming to life. TJ smiled gently as the cat began to nuzzle the side of his face, purring loudly in his ear. 

“Do you just jump on anyone’s shoulder? That’s kind of rude, you know. Social etiquette and all that.” 

All he got in response was more purring, and TJ let out an exasperated sigh. He brought a careful hand to run along it’s back, shifting slightly to lean back against the bench. He continued to sit there and think, patting the cat mindlessly as he did so. He felt his heart rate eventually start to come down from where it was, and although he really didn’t want to admit it, a content warmth filled his chest at the fact that _finally_ , he wasn’t alone here as he always was.

The cat sat down then, it’s small paws tucked away as it nuzzled into the crook of TJ’s neck. He let out a soft laugh that cut through the surrounding silence, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he observed it. Upon closer inspection the cat’s fur seemed somewhat scraggly, matted slightly in some areas, and the realisation dawned upon TJ that this could’ve been a strangely affectionate feral cat of some kind. Abandoned, even.

He glanced around at the surrounding houses, illuminated only by a few street lamps, but they all seemed to be dark inside. It was midnight, he supposed. Normal, rational people would probably be in bed at this hour. 

TJ bit his lip, a gentle hand still running over the cat’s fur, before slowly standing up from the bench. The mud beneath his feet sank slightly with each footfall, likely from the pouring rain earlier that day, and a glance over at his shoulder confirmed that the cat seemed to be perfectly content with this development. 

“The vet only opens tomorrow, but we’ll go see if you have any owners, okay? If not, then...” TJ trailed off, still unsure himself, “we’ll figure something out.” 

The cat offered him a small, high-pitched meow, before burying its little face back into the crook of his neck. TJ smiled when he reached the pavement, giving it a playful tap on the nose as he began to make his way home. 

~

“Well, she doesn’t seem to have a microchip. That being said, there are signs that suggest she was socialised at a young age. She’s almost 8 ounces underweight, and malnourished, but she doesn’t show any signs of major infection and her eyes are clear. My guess is that she was abandoned by her previous owner - it’s a pretty common occurrence, unfortunately.” 

TJ’s mom nodded slowly at that, arms folded sceptically over her chest. They were stood in the centre of a sterile-looking vet room, with white tiles and white walls. TJ turned his pleading gaze towards her, hands clasped together. 

“Mom. I swear I’ll pick up more shifts at work, and I’ll - I’ll take care of her.” 

The vet had a kind smile on her lips. “She’ll need a diet rich in omega-3’s. A lot of pet foods are good for that, but fish oil is a good source too.” 

TJ nodded frantically at that, gaze never leaving his mom. “I can do that. Please?“ 

She still looked worried however, and TJ’s heart began to sink. He knew the decision was a tough one given their financial situation, but something about this cat made him feel warm inside. It was like ever since last night a gentle, comforting flame had somehow been sparked in his chest. He looked down at the table, where the cat was staring back at him with wide, green eyes. 

“She makes me happy,” he rushed out, getting desperate now. 

His mom’s expression immediately softened at those words. She considered it a moment longer, biting her lip, before letting a resigned sigh escape her lips. 

“We’ll look after her,” she told the vet. 

As they left the building again, walking past the sliding glass doors and into the cool fall air, he wrapped an arm around his mom. 

“Thank you,” he murmured.

Her gaze shifted from the cat, purring away happily on his shoulder, to her son’s grateful face. 

She smiled. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” 

~ 

“How do you feel about Chérie for a name?” he asked one morning. 

Almost a week had passed now, and through the window he could see the sun beginning to climb the sky, rising in a pool of reds and oranges.

TJ was currently adjusting his hair in the mirror that sat by his bed. The cat was sat beside him, watching as he made do with the little gel he had left. 

“We learnt it in French the other day. Apparently, it can mean ‘dear’ or ‘darling’ or ‘sweetheart.’ That describes you pretty well, I think,” he told her with a gentle smile. 

In response, TJ received a chirpy meow. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise that Chérie was a _very_ talkative cat _,_ so much so that he wondered sometimes if she could actually understand half the nonsense that left his mouth sometimes. The thought was slightly terrifying. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he smiled, standing up from his bed. He had nowhere near enough hair gel for his normal look, but he didn’t have the energy to worry about that. One day of fluffy hair wouldn’t kill him. Hopefully. 

Chérie leapt up onto his shoulder as she always did, and he couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I can’t take you to school with me, cutie. I’m sorry.” 

Chérie just meowed again though, digging her claws in ever so slightly. TJ glanced down at his watch for a moment, conflict on his face. After a few more seconds, he walked towards his door with an amused huff. 

“This is gonna get me in trouble, you know? Not that it’s ever stopped me before, I guess. Do you want salmon or chicken flavoured food today?” 

He glanced over at her, a fond smile on his lips as he entered the kitchen. Chérie meowed again, excited now that they were approaching the cans of food, and TJ gave her head a small pat. “Salmon it is, then!” 

He heard a snort from the table then, and turned around to give his sister a withering look. 

“Problem?” 

Amber raised her arms in surrender. “No. I just didn’t think I’d witness you lose your mind so soon. It’s fascinating, actually.“

She narrowly dodged the tea bag TJ playfully tossed in her direction. 

~

“Bro, you never told me you adopted a cat over the weekend!” 

TJ gave his friend’s shoulder a playful shove. “Keep it down, asshole.” 

Marty gave him an incredulous look. “It’s a whole ass fucking _cat_ dude, people are gonna notice either way!” 

“You’re wasting your breath - these two have been inseparable for about 7 days now,” Amber told him, a smile tugging at her lips, “it’s the closest TJ will ever get to a committed relationship.” 

The trio were all bundled up in various layers of jackets and scarves due to the cold as they crossed the courtyard, their breaths visible in the air as they talked. The sky was relatively clear, apart from a few grey clouds that were peacefully drifting across it.

“That is _not_ true!” 

Marty gave his cheek a playful flick. “It _will_ be if you keep running away like a fifth-grader anytime Cyrus is around.” 

TJ let out a huff. “I hate you both. Chérie is nowhere as mean as you guys.” 

“ _That’s_ because she hasn’t seen you around Cyrus yet. It’s enough for anyone to take your rights away,” Marty told him with a laugh. 

As per usual, Metcalf was stood by the doors of the building telling students off for breaking various school rules. His eyes widened to what seemed about double their size as he watched TJ approach, a smug smile on his lips. 

“Mr.Kippen! Are you aware there’s a cat sitting on your shoulder?” 

Amber and Marty both came to a halt beside the boy, exchanging an exasperated glance at the mischief that was already sparkling in TJ’s eyes.

“Yes sir, I’m very aware. Her name’s Chérie.” 

Metcalf folded his arms over his chest. “And what makes you think I’m letting you bring a _cat_ onto school grounds?” 

“I don’t know, my charming smile? I’m already on school grounds, so that doesn’t make much sense.” 

Marty’s eyes widened slightly at that. He quickly looked away, a small, disbelieving smile on his face.

“You’re funny. Either take the cat back home or don’t come to school today, it’s simple.” 

“Sir,” Marty piped up, “TJ is actually bringing her in for...show and tell.” 

Metcalf arched an eyebrow. “Show and tell, Mr Stevens? This isn’t grade school.” 

“Ask Mr Rogers!” TJ insisted.

He stood there for a moment longer, arms still folded. All of their faces were tinged red from the cold by now, and TJ could tell Metcalf was rapidly losing his patience. 

“Come on sir, she’s chill as hell. She’ll give you a fist bump if you want,” he told him. 

Marty snorted beside him, while Metcalf just levelled him them both an exasperated glare.

TJ grinned. “Come on, hold out a fist. I’ll show you.” 

He rolled his eyes at that, mumbling darkly under his breath as he followed the instruction. TJ’s grin widened, and he stepped forward. 

“Chérie,” he cooed, “handshake.” 

She meowed softly, reaching out with her paw and placing it on top of Metcalf’s outstretched fist. His face softened, but only slightly, as Chérie pulled her paw back again. 

“Good girl,” he smiled, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and pulling out a treat. 

Metcalf watched, unimpressed, as TJ fed her the treat. 

Marty seemed to be on the verge of bursting into laughter. “You’re homies with her now, sir. Are you really gonna kick her out?” 

He lingered there for a moment, gaze burning, before letting out an aggressive sigh. “If I see that cat after today you’re getting a detention, Kippen. You better have a carrier for her.” 

A grin appeared on TJ’s face at that. He held up the carrier he’d been holding in his other hand. “Don’t even worry about it, sir. She’ll probably just sleep the whole day.” 

As the trio approached the front entrance, laughing to themselves, Marty gave TJ’s shoulder a playful shove. 

“How the _hell_ does Chérie know about giving a handshake?” 

TJ gave him a smirk as they began to head down the corridors. 

“Well, I thought her previous owner might’ve trained her to jump onto people’s shoulders or something, so this past week I’ve been spending a few hours each day trying to teach her something else."

Marty rolled his eyes. “ _You’re_ something else.” 

Amber gave them both a smile as they wove between the crowds swarming their locker bay. 

“Metcalf has a soft spot for you, you know?” 

TJ scoffed. “ _That’s_ him having a soft spot for someone?”

“He let you bring in Chérie for today, didn’t he? It’s the gay solidarity.” 

TJ considered this for a moment, a slight smile on his lips as he approached his locker. “Huh. Maybe the gays _do_ always win.”

Chérie, who had remained relatively silent up until now, piped up with a chirpy meow.

~

“I have the best idea!” Marty announced. 

It was the period before lunch - geography - and the teacher had ducked out of the room to grab some photocopies. TJ gladly took this opportunity to give Chérie a treat, who was curled up on the corner of his desk with his jacket. Despite this particular teacher being stingy with the heating, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. 

“What is it?” he asked after a moment or two, eyes still focused on Chérie. 

“We should steal Mr Bag’s golf cart and go for a joyride around the school. You know, to show Chérie around. Maybe impress some people-“

TJ’s eyes lit up. He opened his mouth to voice his agreement, but before he could Amber was shutting both of them down with an eye roll. 

“There’s no _way_ I’m letting either of you morons do that, so forget it.” 

Marty’s shoulders slumped at that, and he gave the girl a pout as he tossed his pencil up into the air. “You’re no fun.” 

“Trust me man, I’ve known that for a while now,” said TJ, laughing as he dodged Amber’s swat at him. 

“For some reason, I don’t think Chérie would appreciate a joyride. Also do you two _really_ think you’d impress either Buffy _or_ Cyrus doing that?” 

“I’m sure Chérie would be down for a joyride, wouldn’t you girl?” cooed TJ, reaching over to scratch her chin. 

“You’re probably right with Buffy. I reckon Cyrus is probably into bad boys though,” Marty answered with a grin. 

TJ’s gaze snapped towards him. “What makes you say that?” 

Amber rolled her eyes. “Don’t give him doubts, Marty. We all know he’s into whatever TJ is.” 

Marty arched an eyebrow. “So, basically - jocks who run away from their crushes, carry cats around on their shoulders and occasionally partake in very minor rule-breaking?” 

“Exactly,” Amber nodded, laughing at the glare TJ gave both of them.

“What is this? Everybody bully TJ day?” he groaned out, right as the teacher walked back into the classroom. 

She paused by her desk, looking over at the boy in amusement as she set down her photocopies. 

“Is something the matter, TJ?” 

“No,” he told her, smiling politely as he very nearly shoved Marty out of his chair. “He deserved that, trust me.” 

She lingered there for a moment longer, before shaking her head and turning back towards the board. TJ’s antics were something she’d obviously grown used to by now, so much so that she had barely batted an eye when TJ waltzed in at the start of class with a cat on his shoulder.

“Okay, then. Now, as I was saying...” 

~

“Hey, Martin.” 

The boy looked up at him with a playful glare. “Don’t call me that, you asshole.” 

It was lunch break now, and the weather had turned from cold but clear to cold and miserable. The grass around them was rustling due to the icy winds gusting by, and TJ almost found himself regretting it as he sat down on the metal bench beside Marty.

“I’m so jealous of you,” he told Chérie with a sigh as she snuggled into his neck, “you have a fur coat and everything.” 

Amber snorted as he approached the table, sitting down opposite the pair. “You have about ten thousand layers on.” 

“It’s not enough,” he said, sighing dramatically as he wrapped his arms around Marty. 

“Hey! That’s _my_ body heat,” the boy protested, laughing as he wriggled his way out of TJ’s grip. 

“It’s mutually beneficial though,” he whined.

Marty opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it again. TJ’s eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion as he followed the boy’s gaze to Amber. 

She leaned forward over the table, whispering frantically. “Um, TJ, I don’t mean to alarm you or anything but-“ 

“Your cat is so cute!” 

TJ froze. His heart was thudding away rapidly in his chest as he slowly turned around in his seat, lips parted slightly in shock. 

There, to TJ’s complete and utter dismay, stood Cyrus Goodman with his friends. There was an adorable green beanie perched on his head, and an even _more_ adorable smile on his lips. His cheeks were rosy from the cold, and he let out a breathless giggle after a few moments that was most _definitely_ because of the dumbfounded look on TJ’s face. 

“Oh, um, thank you! You guys can pat her if you like. She’s super friendly.” 

Buffy grinned as she stepped forward, running a gentle hand along Chérie’s back. “All those training sessions together and you didn’t even mention _once_ that you had a cat. I feel betrayed, Kippen.

TJ found himself relaxing slightly at that, giving the girl a smile as he patted Chérie softly on the head. “Sorry, Driscoll. I only got her like a week ago,” he responded. 

Andi seemed to have found interest in Amber rather than Chérie because she had quickly taken a seat beside the girl. Cyrus stepped forward and joined Buffy, laughing slightly when Chérie gave them both a happy meow. 

“What’s her name?” he asked him.

Somehow, TJ could feel a blush warming his face _despite_ the cold.

“Chérie,” he responded, eyes lingering on the boy as he looked down at the cat with a fond smile.

“That’s so cute!” he gushed.

Marty scoffed from beside him, before aggressively clearing his throat. “Yeah, TJ actually brought her to his work the other day. The kids there loved her.”

TJ had to very seriously resist the urge to glare at him. He ended up playing along though, forcing a smile onto his lips and nodding. 

“Oh! Where do you work?” Cyrus questioned.

“It’s uh, it’s at a gym for kids. Kind of near The Spoon.” 

Buffy’s eyebrows shot up at that, but she didn’t say anything. Cyrus had a playful smile on his lips as he looked over at them both.

“That’s really nice.” 

Marty opened his mouth to say something else, but TJ elbowed him before he could. 

“I like your eyes. Wait, sorry, beanie! I like your beanie,” he ended up blurting, which had Marty snorting from beside him.

Cyrus’ gaze darted from Chérie, who had leapt onto the table and was currently enjoying pats from Buffy, to TJ, who looked as though he was the verge of burning up with how red his face was.

He raised an eyebrow at the boy, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Thanks.”

A few minutes passed before the trio were heading off again. Cyrus gave him a knowing smile as he stepped away. 

“I’ll you see around, TJ.” 

TJ blinked a few times at that, before collecting himself and managing a small “Totally! See you,” in response.

“Thanks for letting us pat your cat, Kippen!” Buffy called, and soon enough, they were walking across the grass field towards the main building again.

“I can see now why you never talk to him,” Marty laughed, earning him a playful glare. 

“I was surprised,” TJ protested, smiling slightly as Chérie climbed onto his shoulder. 

“ _You’re_ not mean to me, are you cutie?” he cooed, as she nuzzled his cheek.

“Boys,” he heard Amber sigh behind him. 

_Yeah,_ TJ thought. _That was fair._

~

The dark library table was only visible in strips beneath various school books and papers. Amongst the chaos was Chérie, curled up in a ball after a long day of excitement, and TJ, who was leaning back in his chair with a book that was nowhere _near_ relevant to his school work. He still felt somewhat better with his work set up in front of him though, even if it was barely being completed at that moment. His reading glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, and his eyes were darting across the worn pages of his book. 

The library was a warm contrast to the weather outside, both in terms of temperature and lighting. A few others were scattered about, pouring over books or murmuring quietly to one another.

“Hey, boy with the cat.” 

For the _second_ time that day TJ had felt close to fainting, which probably should’ve been somewhat concerning. He looked up hastily, putting his book down with much more force than intended.

“Cyrus!” he smiled, reaching out to pat Chérie but missing, “what are you doing here?” 

The boy ran a hand through his hair and he took the seat opposite him, leaning forward on his elbows. “Depends. Would you mind having some company?” 

TJ shook his head in response, pushing his glasses up slightly. “Of course not.” 

“Then...I’m here to keep you company,” he answered, smiling gently as Chérie got to her feet and padded right over to him. 

“She’s got a one-track mind, that one,” TJ mused, watching fondly as Cyrus scratched her chin. 

“Did you choose her?” he asked. 

“Well,” TJ paused, letting out a sigh, “not exactly. I was...well, I was out alone one night and she randomly jumped on my shoulder. I took her home for the night and my mom and I took her to the vet. She had no microchip and she was underfed, so...we took her in, basically.” 

Cyrus hummed, laughing softly as Chérie began to nuzzle his hand. “She’s very affectionate.” 

“Yeah...I guess she hasn’t gotten much affection until now. Must be pretty exciting.” 

He nodded, smiling over at TJ. His face was still slightly red from the cold outside, his hair was windswept, and his brown eyes were filled with warmth. Privately, TJ spent a moment or two despairing over how beautiful the sight was.

“Well, it was good of you to take her in. What we’re doing out alone, by the way?” 

TJ opened his mouth to respond, before closing it again. He looked back at the boy, mind racing with a million different excuses.

“Late night walk,” he stammered after a moment.

Cyrus gave him a curious look, but he didn’t press any further - directly, that is. 

“You know...I have a place sometimes that I go to late at night. Or during the day. Or just...whenever I’m feeling down, really. It’s a swingset not too far from here,” he said, casually, as though discussing the weather.

“Oh,” TJ nodded, voice hesitant, “that’s um...that’s nice.” 

Silence fell for a moment, filled only by the rainfall outside and Chérie’s quiet purring. TJ glanced towards the window, biting his lip.

“I, uh, have a place like that too. That’s actually where I was that night. It’s a park near my house, and it’s nice for...you know...getting away from stuff.”

Cyrus nodded, and neither of them said anything for a few seconds. 

“I like your eyes too, you know?” 

TJ’s eyes widened. _Had he heard that right?_

The bashful smile on Cyrus’ lips seemed to suggest he had, and at that realisation, he felt his face heat up. 

“Thank you,” he stammered, looking shyly down at the table.

“And, I’m sure if you had a beanie I’d like that too,” Cyrus added, raising an amused eyebrow.

TJ let out a mortified groan. “I can’t believe I said that.” 

“It was cute!” the boy assured him with a laugh.

TJ lifted his gaze again, eyes darting nervously between Cyrus and the table. He didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Hey, um...sorry if this seems sudden but,” he took a deep breath in, “would you be interested in hanging out sometime? Like, um...”

Cyrus’ eyes lit up. “A date?” he finished hopefully, and TJ gave him a quick nod. 

“Yeah! A date. Only if you want to, of course. I downloaded a good copy of the new spider-man movie and I was kind of looking for someone to watch it with.” 

The boy beamed at that, reaching across the table to place his hands gently on top of TJ’s. TJ’s breath caught in his throat.

“I’d love to. Any particular day in mind?” he asked.

“This Saturday, maybe? At like 7?”

Chérie let out a meow as she stepped over both of their arms, and TJ couldn’t help but laugh. Cyrus gave both of them a fond smile.

“Cool. It’s a date.” 

~ 

Saturday rolled around, and by sunset TJ had managed to both rid his house of any other occupants and clean it thoroughly, paying particular attention to the living room and his bedroom. He’d convinced his parents that they deserve a date night, and Amber that she should have a sleepover at Andi’s place, without too much difficulty. 

It was a clear day, but the late fall air outside was still icy. TJ had turned on the heating system about half an hour before Cyrus was due to arrive, and turned on various lamps around the living room that filled the space with a warm glow. He lingered by the window for a moment, watching as the sun descended down towards the horizon, briefly painting the sky a light orange.

The knock had come while he’d been scrolling mindlessly through twitter, and despite him fully expecting this it stills startled him slightly. He pocketed his phone and made his way over to the front door, running a nervous hand through his hair as he went. 

A cool breeze gusted inside the moment he swung the door open, greeting Cyrus with a warm smile. 

“Hey!” 

“Hey,” the boy smiled back, stepping inside before closing the door behind him.

“Are you cold?” he asked, frowning slightly at the red tinging Cyrus’ cheeks. 

“A little bit, but I’m fine! It’s warm in here,” he replied. 

TJ nodded at that, still looking slightly hesitant, before leading Cyrus down the hallway and into the living room. 

“Whoa,” he breathed, laughing softly as he looked around, “it’s very romantic.” 

TJ could feel himself blushing at those words. “I um...I like lamps?” he covered, unconvincingly. 

Cyrus shot him an amused smile as he shrugged off his coat and looked over to the window.

“It’s pretty,” he commented, before pausing hesitantly, “would you, um...would you mind maybe taking a photo of me for my insta pic?” 

The oranges from earlier had faded into varying shades of red as the sun lowered further, and it really _did_ look pretty. 

TJ gave him an eager nod. “Sure!”

Cyrus ran a hand through his hair again and smiled, handing his phone over to TJ. TJ had to take a moment or two to compose himselfas they walked over to the window because _fuck_. He watched as Cyrus positioned himself for a moment, and he managed to snap a few photos without getting overly distracted.

“They came out good,” TJ told him as he handed over the phone, “you um...you look nice.”

Cyrus’ smile softened. “Thanks.” 

Chérie let out a chirpy meow at that moment, padding softly over the carpet towards them. She circled TJ’s legs for a moment, before moving onto Cyrus.

TJ couldn’t help but laugh. “I think that’s code for ‘please sit down so I can sit on one of your laps thank you,’” he explained, crouching down to give her nose a playful tap.

“Well, who am I to argue with a cat?” Cyrus cooed, as he bent over to pat her. 

The pair remained like that for a minute or so, before TJ piped up again with a laugh. “How does she already have all our attention?” 

“She’s so cute!” Cyrus despaired, giggling as Chérie jumped up onto his shoulder. 

TJ’s lips parted slightly in shock as he watched Chérie nuzzle at the boy’s neck. It was cute, of course it was, but up until that she’d only seemed comfortable with jumping up onto _TJ’s_ shoulders.

“Does she do this with everyone?” Cyrus asked, smiling.

TJ shook his head. “No, actually...just um, just me and you.” 

Cyrus’ face reddened slightly. “Oh...does make that make me special, then?” 

“You already were,” TJ blurted, before quickly adding “but yeah! That makes you special.”

Silence fell for a moment. Cyrus bit his lip, visibly trying to fight back a smile. “You’re sweet.”

TJ could feel his face heating up now. He quickly stood up, feeling somewhat mortified that it had taken just _one_ cute boy for him to lose all composure. 

“I’ll go get the popcorn real quick!” he announced, before rushing out into the kitchen.

A couple of minutes passed before he was re-emerging, carrying a bowl of popcorn and two cans of soda. Cyrus had relocated to the couch now, where Chérie was still entertaining him.

TJ smiled softly as he set the popcorn bowl down on the table, alongside the two cans. 

He settled down a friendly distance away from Cyrus, but still close enough that he could probably try the ‘yawn and wrap your arm around them’ move if he was feeling bold enough. 

“Ready?” he asked, giving Chérie a pat on the head.

“Ready,” Cyrus confirmed, smiling.

~

When TJ had suggested they watch a movie, he had no clue whatsoever just how hard it would be to concentrate on the actual _movie_. 

Stars were dotting the night sky now, and TJ wanted nothing more than to shuffle over slightly and wrap an arm around Cyrus, or lean into Cyrus, or do anything _remotely_ date-like. At one point during an action scene where Cyrus had tightened his grip ever so slightly on Chérie, TJ even found himself feeling envious of a _cat_. 

That’s when he knew he should probably do something. 

His heart was in his throat as he shuffled slightly to the right, hoping to god Cyrus wouldn’t be weirded out. He wasn’t, though. In fact, he just flashed the boy a smile. TJ sucked in a breath, before gradually moving closer as the scene continued. 

When he carefully wrapped an arm around Cyrus’ shoulders, the boy rested his head on TJ’s shoulder with a sigh. Chérie, who had migrated to Cyrus’ lap now, seemed somewhat disappointed by this newly divided attention but she got over it soon enough and curled back up into a ball.

TJ could feel his heart beating away rapidly in his chest, but he tried his hardest to redirect his focus towards the movie again. 

By the time the ending credits rolled, Chérie had retreated to god knows where and Cyrus was practically cuddling with TJ, his legs curled up and his head resting on the boy’s chest. 

TJ looked down at him with fond eyes, bringing a hand up to run gently through the boy’s hair. 

Cyrus let out a sigh and snuggled further into the fabric of TJ’s hoodie.

The pair remained like that for a few minutes as the credits continued to roll, caught up in somewhat of a haze, then Cyrus was sitting up.

“That was good,” he smiled. 

TJ nodded, smiling too. “It was.”

Cyrus hesitated for a moment, glancing nervously down at the couch, before letting out a shaky breath and leaning forward slightly. TJ froze with shock for a few seconds, before shifting to face the boy fully.

His heart was soaring all over again as Cyrus gave him a gentle smile, and, feeling bold, he decided to lean in too slightly. Cyrus’ smile widened, and he placed a gentle hand on TJ’s knee for balance as he moved in further. TJ was relying almost entirely on instinct now, because he had _no_ idea what he was doing whatsoever.

“Can I?” Cyrus murmured.

He inhaled sharply, before murmuring back a quiet “yeah.” 

Cyrus bit his lip slightly and TJ, without exaggeration, nearly died right then and there. He leaned in until there were only inches separating their lips, and took a moment to admire the boy. He could see Cyrus’ face relatively clearly despite the surrounding darkness, softened slightly by the lamp sitting on the table in front of them. His eyes were darting down to TJ’s lips now, and TJ felt as though his face might be on fire with how warm it felt.

Cyrus moved in further to close the gap between them, and TJ closed his eyes.

He never felt Cyrus’ lips against his though, because Chérie chose that _exact_ moment to leap up onto the couch from behind with a loud meow, causing them both to a) have heart attacks and b) practically fall back against the couch in surprise.

TJ buried his face in his hands with a mortified groan as he heard Cyrus begin patting Chérie, laughing quietly to himself.

 _That cat knew exactly what she was doing,_ he thought darkly.

He slowly lifted his head from his hands to give Chérie a glare, and something about her little face seemed smug as Cyrus ran his hand along her back, a small smile on his lips.

TJ stood up and walked around the couch, gently picking Chérie up, taking her to his room and sitting her down on the bed.

“Give us five minutes, okay?” he told her.

Chérie seemed begrudging, but she curled up on his pillow regardless and TJ left the room again, leaving the door slightly ajar. 

He gave Cyrus an embarrassed smile as he sat down again, cheeks flushed red. 

“I’m so sorry,” he began, but Cyrus just collapsed into him in a fit of giggles, his face buried in TJ’s chest. 

“It’s okay,” came the muffled response, and TJ couldn’t help but laugh along as he ran a hand through Cyrus’ hair. 

His phone lit up with a text notification, followed immediately by another, and he reluctantly leaned over to grab it. Cyrus lifted his head from his chest, eyes still swimming with amusement as he looked curiously down at TJ’s phone.

 **Marty:** ARE YOU TWO KISSING YET??? 

**Amber:** marty shut up challenge but also yeah are you? 

He placed his phone back down on the table with a heavy sigh, while Cyrus just laughed again.

“I’m not opposed to giving it another go, you know?” he smiled playfully, looking up at the boy. 

TJ hummed at that, eyes flicking down to his lips. “Well,” he murmured, returning the smile, “if you’re not then I’m not.” 

“Good,” Cyrus mumbled, before leaning in to close the gap between them. 

For _real_ this time.

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it! I hope you enjoyed TJ adopting a friendly cat with inconvenient timing.
> 
> As always, kudos/comments are appreciated if you liked the fic <3


End file.
